West Bengal Bus and Minibus Owners’ Association representative P N Bose said the meeting discussed several issues, including fines imposed on buses and the disparity in road toll rates between Bengal and other parts of the countryHe said the minister assured the operators that all these concerns would be addressed.
Updated: September 15, 2026, 7:23 AM IST
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West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari
New Delhi: West Bengal Transport Minister Arjun Singh on Monday said the Suvendu Adhikari government would consider a hike in private bus fares in Bengal after Durga Puja, as the fare increase was long overdueDuring a meeting with associations representing private bus operators, Singh also stressed the need to improve passenger amenities.
“I think the bus fare hike is long overdueWe will take a decision after Durga PujaOnce hiked, the operators should offer improved amenities to commutersWe need better managed buses on roads, including those having AC services,” Singh said.
Singh said the state transport undertakings, which are incurring heavy losses, should have increased fares earlier.
The minister, along with senior officials, met representatives of the Joint Council of Bus Syndicate, City Suburban Service, and West Bengal Bus and MiniBus Owners’ Association at the Maidan Tent of the transport department.
Several Issues Discussed During The Meeting: P N Bose
West Bengal Bus and Minibus Owners’ Association representative P N Bose said several issues such as imposing fines on buses and disparity in road toll fares here and in other parts of the country were discussed during the meetingHe said the minister promised to address all these issues.
A one-time relief package for bus operators was also discussed, but there was no immediate assurance by the government, he saidCurrently, the state-dictated fare for stage 1 is Rs 7, while the private bus operators charge Rs 10 in a clandestine arrangement.
“A fare revision is the need of the hourThe existing fare structure, unchanged for eight years, is no longer financially viableWe cannot survive on the 2018 fares in 2026In the first stage at present, we demand Rs 20 to offset the operational losses,” Bose said.
With diesel prices hovering above Rs 100 per litre and maintenance costs steadily increasing, the private bus owners said they can no longer sustain operations under the current fare regime.
“Let the government provide a one-time waiver of pending VAHAN-related penalties,” Bose said.
Many private bus operators are resorting to route rationalisation and unofficial fare adjustments as the industry grapples with higher diesel prices and a decline in passenger volume following free bus travel for women on government buses, he said.
(With PTI Inputs)
